What is a notification?

A notification is recorded when child protection information received suggests a child may be in need of protection.

Children and young people in need of protection are those who have suffered significant harm, are suffering significant harm, or are at unacceptable risk of suffering significant harm and do not have a parent able and willing to protect them from the harm.

Why this topic is important

Harm to a child or young person can be caused by physical or emotional abuse, neglect, or sexual abuse.

These types of harm can often occur together and can have a significant and detrimental effect on a child's emotional and/or physical health, development and wellbeing.

If the information received by our department indicates that an unborn child may be at risk of significant harm after they are born and they will not have a parent able and willing to protect them from harm, a notification will be recorded.

Trends

In 2017-18, the department recorded 23,658 notifications relating to 20,899 children. The number of notifications increased by 4.3 per cent from 22,683 in 2016-17 to 23,658 in 2017-18.

The number of children subject to notifications increased by 4.1 per cent, from 20,076 children in 2016-17 to 20,899 children in 2017-18.

Over the past five years the number of non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children subject to a notification decreased while the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children increased. In 2017-18, the number of non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children subject to a notification was 14,011, a decrease of 2.5 per cent from 14,372 in 2013-14. In contrast, the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children subject to a notification has increased by 17.6 per cent over the same period, from 5,857 in 2013-14 to 6,888 in 2017-18.